Events

June 23: Registration
June 26: Start of Summer Semester

There are quite a few events throughout the semester as well.

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts was in full swing all over campus for two weeks, and there are movie nights on the lawn every Friday night. There are folk dance evenings and electric go-go shows. In preparation for the fall football season, the cheering preparations are already kicking off in a big way.

Penn State finished second last season. Their determination for this season is different.

There are three theaters on campus, and there’s a show playing somewhere every day. The other day, I went to see a play called Collision Course, and it was “Adults Only”! I was thrilled.
I walked in wearing shorts and flip-flops, but everyone else was in suits and ties. The play seemed to be full of obscene language, but I couldn’t understand a thing. That said, there wasn’t any risqué behavior at all—it was a letdown.

By the way, there are seven movie theaters in town (State College). Two of them are drive-ins.

English, Classes, and Others

It’s not hard to imagine that I still can’t speak even half as much English as I’d hoped.
This summer, there are a total of seven students taking English as a Second Language. I'm the only one from Japan. One from India, two from South Korea, one from Greece, one from Honduras, and one from Venezuela. Everyone except me has been living in the U.S. for two years or more.
So, my conversational skills are by far the worst. However, the textbook itself is easy, so the class itself isn’t a struggle at all. Even though I can’t speak, my grammar and pronunciation are top-notch.
It’s lively with Korean English, Indian English, and English with various accents.

By the way, my nickname is Shig. My English teacher gave it to me.

I go to the Language Lab for an hour every day. This course is helpful for correcting my pronunciation and other things. Even so, I really want to start thinking in English soon.

I have Marketing Management classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Everyone else in the class is American. I don’t understand a thing so far. I’m holding back from skipping class, telling myself, “I’ll get it eventually.”
The instructor is a young professor, Prof. Povino. He taught me that the lectern is where the professor sits or rests his feet.

Students attend class while smoking cigarettes or drinking Coke. They raise their hands, wait to be called on, and then ask questions or give answers. It reminded me of my childhood.

ICF (Interversity of Christian Fellowship)

One aspect of a devout life.

Actually, Mr. Glen Swanson strongly recommended that I join this club.
He is a missionary from my hometown of Shingu City. Before arriving at Penn State this time, I traveled for about two weeks, and during that time, my visits to Denver, Sioux Falls, and St. Paul were arranged by Mr. Swanson. “You’ll make lots of friends and learn English quickly,” he said, strongly urging me to join ICF.
Come to think of it, during this trip, I happened to meet him in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

(Click here for more about Mr. Glen Swanson)

The group has about 40 members in total—students, faculty, and local residents.
It meets on Thursdays from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. We alternate between picnics and barbecue parties. The international members are two British students, one Algerian student, and myself.
It’s not too formal; we sing hymns, Negro spirituals, and folk songs, and so on... It looks like it might be good for studying English, too.

The other day, the club’s organizer, Dr. Jester (Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering), invited me to dinner. It was just me and another person—a beautiful woman from Germany!
His wife was a cheerful, lovely lady, and she treated us to a full-course steak dinner.

Last Saturday was a special day. I went on a picnic to a Penn State campground with the ICF group. We played volleyball and Frisbee, and for lunch, the main dish was teriyaki beef (Pacific Style). They even cooked rice for me.

They don’t force their religion on anyone, so it’s a peaceful and enjoyable atmosphere. It’s a bit too refined for my taste, though, and makes me feel a little stiff.
Well, they call me “Shig” and we get along using broken English.

Click here for more about ICF)

Part2 Reading (8:55) on